Sunlight and Shadows
by escapist04
Summary: Trouble is brewing in the Sand, and Hinata runs from her shadows. Konoha's ninjas are summoned to battle but can they solve their own problems? change my penname, previously imoutochan
1. Chapter 1

Sunlight and Shadows

Hyuuga Hinata was afraid of failure. With every step taken there was chance of tripping. Like for every piece of sunlight there would always be a shadow. Every chance to look onto that sunlight, the Hyuuga girl could not face it without the fear of being burned. So she turned her back on it, and was faced with only the shadow.

Yet while staying in her place other objects came into view, other people. The tanned blonde haired boy jumped in and stole her attention. At one time with a smile the boy approached her. Sitting beside her on the abandoned swing set they sat in silence in the setting sun. She noticed his dirty clothing and the scratches on his six-year-old body. She had heard of this morning's incident from her father's conversation with another relative. 'The container was attacked again.' 'Relatives of lost ones from that event no doubt…' 'The Third has issued their punishment…won't do much good.' 'It doesn't take any ability to know their thoughts towards him, thinking things such as he deserved it and such.'

She watched as he turned towards her and the setting sun behind her, and watched her, almost as if he expected her too to lash out at him. She moved her eyes to her lap and shifted her fingers over the bandages she held to tend to her wounds caused by her training, and her father. With all her strength she held out her hand towards the six-year-old sunlight and with squinted eyes she timidly took his hand and began to tend to it. Encouraged by this, the battered sunlight shown once again and began to tell his recent adventure, proudly exclaiming when he was able to kick one offender in the shins or bite another's arm or land a punch to an eye. The pale girl would continue to bandage his cuts amazed how the bruises would wash off his tanned skin leaving no darkness to haunt him. She watched how her father came, how he moved his voice to him forbidding him to bring himself towards their property again. She watched as he turned to leave, and how he turned back to smile at her and she heard his thoughts. 'Its alright….I'll see you around...' she watched as his figure disappeared, taking the sun's last piece of light as it sank into the earth. Short after her father too left but she didn't notice his retreating back, or the bruises that grew on her skin.

She couldn't speak to that sunlight until years passed and took her to the chuunin exam where she had to face herself through her cousin Neiji. The main house girl smiled as she watched Neiji, cursing her existence, as he prepared to once again attack her. She remembered watching her words hit him, stronger than any damage he gave her. And she watched as his eyes opened just a little. She remembered waking up with her team members, her friends watching her eyes open and greeting her return. She remembered thanking that moment when her shadow could not be found.

Hyuuga Hinata was always followed by failure. The main branch member was always haunted. In a house with so many blood relatives, it was still possible to be completely alone. She didn't blame anybody, because nobody was at fault, they were merely following tradition, one that trapped them. She wanted to change it, to see a smiling face instead of one that explained no conversation could be found with them. But to do that one had to be leader. To attain that status one had to be strong. In her family's eyes she failed at her one task. The one who had to fit the mold of Hyuuga was the one that was least shaped like them. She could see the disgust in their eyes, those so similar to hers. They became ghosts, haunting her, reminding her of failure and weakness. They were floating above the ground with no shadow while she clumsily walked tagged by her dark stalker.

She had to turn away, especially from the one whose opinion matter most to her, her father. She wouldn't argue when he attacked her, telling her every time to get up until she fell unconscious at his feet. And every time she woke up she would see Neiji by her side. But she knew he was there just to make sure she woke up. She would thank him then he would leave. Her family, were just strangers with a similar goal. It seemed everyone just wanted Hyuuga to live forever. And when faced with a malfunction one had to replace it. Hinata accepted it, because a Hyuuga shouldn't be followed by failure.

The pale skinned girl would soon be found training in her own territory, away from Hyuuga land in the forest where she shared it with others. Training on one side, and tending to others' injuries on another. She enjoyed this new found happiness. She cherished learning taijutsu techniques from Rock Lee, smiling when she sparred with Shino, blushed when the Sakura, Ino and Kurenai-sensei would force her into an outfit to match her growing body, and laugh when Naruto and Kiba would play the fools just to cheer her up.

But it seemed that her shadow would always be there. When Hannabi was declared as the head of the main family, Hinata accepted it. When Neiji was declared her fiancé, Hinata fell into her shadow, and had to accept it. She couldn't hear Neiji screaming at the Hyuuga that he did not accept it.

Sixteen-year-old Hinata was afraid of failure, she feared the burn she would get whenever she would try to reach for the sunlight. It terrified her most if a loved one got burned on account of her. When she ran out of the main house she decided that she wouldn't allow anyone to suffer again because of her. A hand that caught her arm stopped her. There staring at her was the one she most didn't want to suffer on her account. He stared at the garden of bruises infesting throughout her body, and her torn clothing. Hinata smiled melancholically at the face she had grown to cherish.With a small movement of her wrist she made sure to keep him away from her. There were times when Hinata believed that even with a shadow it meant that there must be a piece of sunlight somewhere. But on this moonless night Hinata was consumed by her failures and weakness. Neiji fell to his knees, trying his best to stay conscious, his last glimpse he saw Hinata. He heard her.

She thanked him.

And then she left.

Neiji.

And Konoha.

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Ok well this is the somewhat the prologue. I had wanted to make this real short but there was so much to add that this is how it ended up. This fic will be concentrated around Hinata but the other Naruto characters will be included (especially Gaara : D !)The second chapter will be out shortly. I type reallllllly slowly. This took me more than 5 hours the type ; Well anyways, thanks for reading, and constructive criticism is very much appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

A Quick Arrival

Naruto turned towards the horizon in front of him as the sun hit him once again. Constantly out on missions had allowed the blonde to keep his tanned skin that permitted his blue eyes to stand out like a mirage of water in a sea of sand. But at this moment the young man had wished he could see a place to drink some real water. Traveling for days within a dessert could drain anyone's energy, even the Naruto's supposed indispensable source. But as soon as the figure of the Sand Country came into view it seemed as if the boy regained all his vitality and sprinted towards the idea of some shade and cool drinks.

Naruto entered the Sand Country with little problems from the security. He didn't have to arrive until next week but the boy didn't feel like hanging around in the Hidden Mist Country. He decided that he would spend his free days within the hot region to relax a bit before his duties as a ninja would once again take him away to other corners of the earth.

It was only recently when he began taking orders as an Anbu since he had spent most of his time training with Jiraiya.

"Pfft. Stupid pervert." Naruto muttered remembering having to put up with his teacher's schemes to raid the women's bathhouses, of course the blonde then had to watch over his beaten form for a number of days bored to death.

His under breath muttering was interrupted when a certain building came into view. Grinning Naruto wondered how long it had been since he had been able to fight with Gaara. The once opposing enemies now kept in contact but their separate schedules barely allowed them to meet leisurely. No one would have expected a moody dark person such as Gaara call a loudmouth ball of energy called Naruto a friend. But those with monsters inside them had to stick together right? Using a second to straighten his pack the Anbu ninja sped full speed towards an old friend.

Gaara looked unto the city that once cursed his existence and presently kept under his guard. But being Kazekage was more than helping his country in battle. No, paperwork was more bothersome. That was why the redhead boy escaped his unending foe by hiding on his roof for fresh air. Being able to see the village from above and look onwards to the sea of sand beyond was calming to his restless nerves. But it seemed that he wasn't allowed his rest from his duties when he sensed an incredible force racing towards his office. With a silent command he shifted his sand to confront the moving figure that now was speeding up the wall towards him. Swiftly a small ball of sand collided with the unknown object exploding then morphing around the figure trapping him in a ball. The prison then flew up to the roof and floated in front of Gaara. With a wave of a hand the sand melted to show the unidentified speeding object.

It took a lot to make a character like Gaara show emotions but it seemed to come naturally for Naruto to make the Kazekage's eye twitch in surprise and annoyance. That same expression crossed Gaara's face when a knapsack fell to the ground when the sand dispersed. Without hesitation Gaara turned around above him just in time to watch his defensive sand deflect two kunai aimed for him. He turned once again to block Naruto's leg that swung at full force. A smirk fell on Naruto's lips as he flipped back barely missing the wave of sand crashing down. Still smiling the blonde boy readied himself in the fighting stance; he gathered his hands around an invisible ball. Holding it back the ball of chakra now forming within his hand he kept his eyes locked with the green orbs of his opponent. With his naturally loud voice he shouted his incantation.

"KaMeHaMeHaa!"

Gaara rolled his eyes cursing his opponent's obsession with manga before the pathetic ball of chakra was swiped away into an oblivion of sand. The green-eyed boy then went to look at the blonde only to notice the space vacant. Without warning a weight fell onto Gaara's back and in a humiliating act knuckles rubbed against head. "Long time no see lover boy!" Completely mortified by the nickname given to him because of the character on his forehead Gaara quickly enveloped the two into a ball of sand in which screams and cries similar to "I was just kidding!" and "That doesn't bend that way!" could be heard if one listened. When the sand separated a crumpled, beaten form once known as Naruto lay on the floor as the small nerves on Gaara's forehead began to fade.

Moments later after bandaging his arm and the cuts on his face, Naruto faced the Kazekage once again in his office with a desk between them. After one more glare Gaara broke the silence, "You weren't supposed to be here until next week."

With a grin the blue eyed boy replied, "Yeah but I couldn't wait that long to kick your ass again." Another glare from Gaara didn't stop the smile growing on Naruto's face. "Besides it's much more fun here than that damn Mist place. But it was good to see some old friends again." The smile turned a bit sad for a second before returning to its own brightness again.

"We might as well get down to business then." With a small shift he turned to open a drawer and took out a map and laid it on his desk waiting for Naruto to come closer before he began. "Gradually our routes to any region are becoming dangerous to travel. Scouts are being found massacred and few are able to reach their destination, even fewer coming back." He pointed to a line on the map. "Only a few routes including one to the Hidden Leaf have been left untouched. Our imports and exports from the other villages are being either suspended or delayed and my region is suffering for that. Not only that, but the village's security has steeply decreased because of the ninja's needed to guard the messengers and imports every trip." Gaara looked up to see Naruto' face mold into an unrecognized serious look. It was rare to see such a look on Naruto without him yelling god knows what at the top of his lungs. A glance more the twenty-two-year old Gaara returned to explain his request. "Since we have gained strong ties with Konoha I'm requesting some of you're best ninja's to assist in this situation to help in security of the village and to dispel the unknown attackers."

"Why did you call just for me then?" Naruto asked.

"It was planned that you would return to Konoha and then come here with the group of the selected ninjas. But you obviously didn't completely read you're mission did you?" Naruto flinch as the hammer hit the nail on the head. It was Gaara's turn to smirk as he continued, "I didn't think you'd go all the way back to Konoha either and it was a miracle itself that you weren't attacked. The Hokage has already accepted the request, so they should be here within three to four days should they be intercepted."

With a nod Naruto stood up. "Ok then, so what should I do until they get here?"

"You can have the graveyard shift for guard duty."

"Aaaahh. I thought I could relax for a bit."

"This isn't a vacation resort Uzumaki, this could turn out to be a real threat…"

Without speaking the two understood the potential enemy. It had been a while either had encountered Akatsuki but it didn't mean that attempts on their lives hadn't been made.

The sudden tension was blown away with a scoff escaping Naruto's lips. "Graveyard shift huh? I guess that means I'll have the day to explore the village _Kazekage-sama._"

"You can stay at this inn. It's not to far from here. The owners have allowed free lodgings for you and the others when they arrived." Handing him a paper with an address he put the map away and took out a pile of documents that waited to be signed. "Check in with Kankurou by the main gate for your shift."

"Always something to do at the Sandy Love Resort." With a snicker Naruto ran out of the office chased by waves of sand.

The Kazekage sighed as he leaned back in his seat. He'd almost forgotten Naruto's extreme personality but anyone would agree that it felt good to be around him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: mission to Sand

The sun beat down on the black haired ANBU as he trudged along towards his new task. The burning sun seemed to be a constant reminder of the next mission to the Sand country. Konoha had always had fair weather but today's temperature seemed to change to give the ANBU a taste of the future climate. _This is ridiculous_. Nearing the elaborate gate he thought back to his given orders.

"So the Kazekage needs help huh?" Shikamaru gave his classic bored look towards the Hokage as she ruffled through the endless pile of paperwork doomed to haunt every Kage.

"You are to inform the other ANBU as well and leave within 10 hours"

"How long do you expect that route to stay safe?" Shikamaru looked over the map he was given and grimaced at having to make such a long and tiresome journey.

"That would be more reason for you to hurry. Should the situation get too out of hand you are to inform me and we will send back up. If the Akatsuki is involved we can't any chances, especially with Naruto and Gaara in such close proximity to one another." Tsunade pushed some more papers into the hands of her assistant and informed her to sort them into a file.

Shikamaru watched the exchange and groaned again. He was not one to fight though why he was in the ANBU was a mystery to many even himself sometimes. Yet having to face a group like the Akatsuki a fight was definitely ahead. "Would that really be wise to have them together?"

A frown passed Tsunade's face as she said, "That brat already is passing the Hidden Sand's gates by now, there's no stopping a stubborn brat like Naruto and besides he can handle most situations."

Shikamaru bowed to the Tsunade and headed for the door.

It was a funny thing that Shikamaru always noticed about the Hyuuga household was that barely were they given any visitors, thus any stranger at the door was treated like a potential enemy surrounded by at least two members upon ringing the bell. Of course after showing documentation for his visit the lazy ANBU was given admittance towards the Branch family housings. Making his way along the trail the young shinobi couldn't help but notice the vast green lawns and decorated gardens blooming with every kind of flower and colour, yet in the end with all the beauty around him, walking within Hyuuga property always sent a chill up his spine.

Due to having called on him for missions before Shikamaru knew by heart already the route to Neiji's room. Sliding the door Shikamaru opened up to the bland room belonging to the Hyuuga genius. A figure stayed by the window with a cup of tea chilling on his small plain table. New strands probably passing his mid-back replaced the hair lost in the failed retrieval mission years ago. Though Shikamaru would never admit it for the sake of sounding like a sap and also to leave safely without being beat to the ground Neiji was able to resonate such power by the simple gesture of drinking tea by the window.

"What are the details Nara?" The Hyuuga's voice seemed too cold to human anymore and the visitor had to suppress another shiver.

_Damn this guy creeps me out._

"Sand Country." The Nara member watched to see if any reaction expelled from the lone figure by the windowsill but when Neiji decided to continue his game of how long he could pretend to be a statue, the ANBU didn't bother. "I rather we leave by this evening. This isn't a sightseeing mission either. Bring whatever necessities needed, for now we can expect to be there for a while." The statue gave a small nod to his teammate as he laid a copy of the scroll on the table and left.

Checking Neiji off his mental list for the team he grimaced at the rest of the households he had to visit.

_Shit…having to deal with these personalities…this mission is so annoying._

Knowing that this team was a handful and would probably give more then a few headaches than he could take he couldn't help but grin at having to think of how this mission will be anything but boring.

"This is so B-O-R-I-N-G!"

Kankurou didn't stop the scowl growing on his face as he heard the complaint for what seemed like the millionth time escape the blonde's mouth. Hearing the younger ninja chatter on he couldn't help but wonder the old riddle if a ninja killed another ninja when no one was around how long until his absence will be noticed? If he hadn't help save his younger brother's life and showed him some nifty tricks he would have flung something lethal to the new night guard's head. '_If any sleep I do gain from not doing graveyard shift I'll loose because of that mouth!' _ Kankurou thought as he walked away from the never-ending barrage of noise. Maybe he could bunk with his brother at the Kazekage tower.

"And then the pigeon ran off with the whole cu- huh? Kankurou? Where'd you go?" Naruto looked around to find his old chat buddy's retreating form, "Must be tired…oh well more pay for me" Naruto grinned wondering out loud what he would do with the extra cash. "Maybe a new plant or new pair of pants…hmm maybe a washable tattoo…." An idea struck Naruto as he wondered what Gaara's reaction would be if he came in one day with dyed red hair and heavy liner and a little washable tattoo of love on his head. But then couldn't he just henge to do all that for free…? His scheming was cut short when a spray of chakra was sensed near him outside the walls.

But what kind of ninja would leave the safety of the Country's walls **alone** to chase a possible member of the Akatsuki?

"Here I go!" that kind of ninja swiftly jumped over the walls and with years of training silently landed on the cooling sand and disappeared after the scent of chakra. The blonde grinned at finally having some excitement besides timing how long it took to drive Kankurou away. The chakra scent was definitely no amateur. Naruto was finally grateful that the pervert trained him to follow chakra scents. Jumping down a cliff and about some caverns Naruto took note of how delicate the ground was. The mystery ninja seemed to be slowing down and when Naruto finally passed another cliff the ninja was waiting. Naruto steadied his stance and waited for his first attack. But the other ninja seemed to stay in his spot.

Annoyed Naruto decided to attack first. "OI! Bastard, what the hell are you doing around here!" he squinted his eyes to try and get a clearer look at his enemy's face but it seemed as if the shadows gathered just to hide this figure

The figure remained still after questioning which only bugged the blonde even more. So he threw some kunai to wake him up.

As expected the ninja the ninja dodged them easily but he caught one with his index finger and twirled it around. The action reminded him of how Kakashi had done the same with shuriken years ago. Naruto mentally shook himself to concentrate on the opponent in front of him.

"Do you think you've grown enough Kyuubi?" Naruto froze as the voice haunted him. It felt like cold water entering him them freezing him all over. Few dared to say that name around him. He had heard it in hushed whispers many usually replacing it with 'monster' but to have it directly said to him always seemed to wash away every feeling away from him.

The ninja, probably pleased by the look on his adversary's face decided to continue.

"Do you truly believe you're strong enough, Kyuubi?" Naruto was able to finally concentrate on the ninja and steeled himself to attack. He jumped to kick the ninja. After only just hitting air, he disappeared and reappeared behind his foe. The ninja disappeared but not before Naruto touched just a hint of his enemy on the neck.

"Kuku, this will be interesting, Kyuubi…" Naruto turned around just in time to see the ninja disappear without a trace of chakra left.

"Grr, fucking coward!" yelled Naruto. After a few minutes of dead silence Naruto began his trip back to the gates. Who the hell did that bastard think he was anyway? Naruto thought back to his words. Strong enough huh? Naruto paused and swiftly punched the ground in frustration. "Fucking coward!" The ground cracked around the unknowing shinobi and before he could realize it he began to fall in with the rest of the ground. "Shit! The caverns!" the fall wasn't long but with the other rocks and rubble it was hard. He landed on the particular sharp one and soon knocked the wind off him. Naruto could feel unconsciousness creeping up on him but before he was sucked into a dark oblivion he could make out a shadowy figure above him. "This sucks…"


End file.
